Each week, the two sports editors at The Daily Beacon, Trevor McGee and Alex Sarkis, give their keys and predictions for Tennessee’s upcoming football matchup.
The roles are reversed.
The Vols are the ones trying to play spoiler in this year’s rendition of the battle for Tennessee. They welcome No. 14 Vanderbilt for the biggest game in Commodores’ history, a matchup where the visitors are the ones scrounging for a College Football Playoff berth. Newly-extended head coach Clark Lea and his group have had the trip to Neyland Stadium circled on the calendar since last offseason and would love nothing more than to punch a ticket to fight for a national title on rival turf.
Keys
Trevor McGee, Sports Editor
1. Keep the spy on Diego Pavia
Tennessee will live with letting the Heisman candidate beat them through the air. The Vols will not die by letting him run all over them. John Mateer is another mobile quarterback Tennessee has faced this season, and probably the most equivalent in talent to what Diego Pavia brings to the table on Saturday.
In Oklahoma’s win over Tennessee on Nov. 1, Mateer ran for a season-best 80 yards on the Vols and ultimately let them be the decider when the rest of the offense could not do anything. That can’t happen with Pavia on Saturday. Jadon Perlotte could be in for a huge workload with his athleticism and speed in the linebacking corps, and putting him on the spy could do wonders.
2. No mercy
Josh Heupel has not run the score up on his opponent since 2022, when the offense dropped 62 points against Missouri. That level of competitive fire needs to return at Neyland Stadium with the biggest game in the series’ history at play.
Vanderbilt has not been ranked in the matchup since 1958, and both squads have never been ranked since they’ve battled. It is a big deal that the No. 14 Commodores travel to Knoxville for a tango with the No. 19 Vols.
So Heupel and company need to find the end zone early and often to ensure the Commodores don’t escape with a program-defining win — one that would give them 10 wins for the first time ever.
Prediction: Vanderbilt 38, Tennessee 42
This is Vanderbilt’s biggest game in program history. These types of games are tense, and the Commodores have certainly not played anywhere close to what Saturday’s game is worth. Combine that with the fact that Tennessee often comes out of the gates firing, and I don’t see a world in which Vanderbilt can come battling back.
Interestingly enough, the winner of this matchup has scored 35-plus points in nine of the last 10 battles.
Prepare for offense, and prepare for a lot of it.
Alex Sarkis, Assistant Sports Editor
1. Continue defensive momentum
In the last few weeks, Tennessee’s defense has been kicking things into gear.
Tim Banks’ group held an SEC-worst Florida offense to 11 points in its last outing. Caliber of opponent aside, the Vols simply needed a dominant showing like that one to feel good about, especially in a historically woeful setting like The Swamp.
This week brings a much tougher challenge, though.
Behind Tennessee, Vanderbilt can boast the second-highest points per game average in the conference. The Commodores have posted 30 points or more in nine contests this season. Signal-caller Pavia is a Heisman Trophy hopeful for a reason, leading his guys’ laundry list of successes when they possess the ball. The Vols will have their work cut out for them, but a crucial stop or a turnover to limit Vandy’s offense time on the field will go a long way.
2. Score, score, score
If there’s one thing that feels like a given for Tennessee this campaign, it’s scoring early.
The Vols did a nice job of staying out of a scoring lull against the Gators, a dim aspect of their explosive offensive attack that is prone to appear at points. It can’t happen against the Commodores.
Tennessee cashed in touchdowns on its first four drives of the game in Gainesville, exploding out of the gates to stun the Gators before they could blink. It’s unrealistic to expect the same output for a second consecutive contest, but the Vols have the tools to overpower Vandy’s defense. They just need to stay consistent.
Prediction: Vanderbilt 45, Tennessee 52
I think this one has a chance to be one of the games of the year in college football. It’s about time this rivalry had some fire, and both teams will come out swinging. Things will get chippy as both offenses have big showings. Tennessee takes advantage in the turnover department, forging a cushion on the scoreboard off some extra possessions.
